


The Chase

by whumpropaganda



Category: Original Work
Genre: Blood and Injury, Captivity, Concussions, Drugging, Dubcon Cuddling, Escape, Gen, Hypothermia, Kidnapping, Original Character(s), Other, Running Away, Starvation Mentioned, Whump Story, dark plot line, interactive story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:22:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28980312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whumpropaganda/pseuds/whumpropaganda
Summary: When Finnley saw the way the strange man looked at him, a chill went down his spine but even then, Finnley hadn't expected the man to follow him home and try to kidnap him.
Kudos: 2





	1. Installment One

**Author's Note:**

> If you're just happening to stumble upon this then there are a few things you should know! These are the installments for an interactive story being run at [this tumblr account](https://choiceofwhump.tumblr.com/). Every Monday an installment is posted and we then vote on what will happen in the next installment until friday. You're welcome to just read this but if you'd like to play along, come join!

It was cold. That was the first thing Finnley thought when he woke up. It was cold and he could feel something rough pressing into his skin, leaving splinters across his flesh when he tried feebly to move and found it hard to do so. When Finnley forced his eyes open, the world was blurry and his dry eyes burned as he stared out and found the sight of a fire, blazing bright even though the air was still frigid around him.

For a moment, Finnley didn’t even know where he was. He couldn’t even remember what happened and in all his confusion, for a second Finnley thought there was a fire. He thought his apartment was on fire and in his panic, he knew he needed to get out but he just couldn’t move. Then, Finnley realized there was no way this was his apartment and he realized that he had no clue where he was, if he was in fact not home.

Then, a figure moved in front of Finnley’s eyes and crouched down, obscuring the light from the fire and leaving Finnley’s confused eyes to try to squint and make sense of what he was seeing. 

“Oh, you’re finally awake,” The figure murmured. It was a deep voice, an unmistakably male voice that made Finnley’s chest flutter with dull panic. He recognized that voice. He knew he did and it made Finnley want to get up and try to run away but he just _couldn’t_ move. 

Drugged, Finnley realized. He had to have been drugged and after a moment, Finnley finally remembered exactly what had happened that had led up to this. 

The figure in front of him moved to stand suddenly, letting the sight of the fire that was too far away to provide any warmth burn in Finnley’s eyes once again.

“Don’t let him freeze to death,” the man snapped as he moved out of Finnley’s sight, speaking to someone unseen. “Tell me when he’s more coherent.”

There was a soft ‘yes sir’ from somewhere behind him and after a moment, Finnley felt someone touching him. He felt cold gentle fingers curling around him and pressing warmth into his back. Finnley felt a head press into the back of his neck, soft hair tickling his skin there where they touched and the warm huff of steady breath on his shoulder.

Finnley wanted to stay awake. He wanted to say something. He wanted to move. He wanted to be doing _something_ but everything was so confusing and whatever he’d been given made even lifting his head impossible. Finnley fell asleep not long after he’d woke up for the first time, even though part of his brain was screaming for him to stay awake as he drifted off.

The body pressing into him was warm and soft and as Finnley fell into a drug induced haze, he dreamed about a world before the events that had brought him here. He dreamed of warm coffee and the sweater he’d been wearing that seemed to have vanished.

Overall, his dreams were nice and soft and nothing like the reality that he woke up to later.

Finnley was running late. He should have known that he didn’t have time to stop for coffee before class but it was freezing outside. It was one of the first really cold days of winter and also one of the first days that snow had started to gather on the ground. In the summer, walking to class was an amazing experience and Finnley loved walking but now, he found the walk more of a test of endurance.

So, Finnley accepted the fact that he’d be late to class as he ducked inside of the small coffee shop. Campus really wasn’t too far away and Finnley could just say the snow had made him late, if anyone asked - which, Finnley doubted would happen. His professor was pretty laid back and Finnley had a good grade in that class anyway. It was well worth the stop. 

As Finnley waited for his order to be ready, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and took a moment to scroll through facebook and see what everyone was doing. His sister was camping this weekend. She lived outside of the snowy hellscape that Finnley had decided to go to school in, so all of her photos showed the brown and green landscape of California. 

Sometimes, Finnley missed home but New England had its own charm too. It was small and quaint. It was calmer then California and more rustic than where Finnley had lived before. Still, snow was an adjustment and Finnley was happy to finally pull his coffee into his cold hands. He took a moment to bask in the warmth of the heated cafe and take a sip of his drink before he pulled his coffee closer and moved to head out the door, into the small frigid storm and towards his class, which Finnley knew had already started. 

Even when he got to class, Finnley knew they’d just be taking notes and finishing up an assignment he’d already finished the class before. After that, he had a test to take and then, he had the rest of the evening off before he had to wake up for work the next morning. Finnley had nothing much to complain about today and his coffee too, Finnley found was made perfectly.

It was a good day. Well, it was _supposed_ to be a good day.

Class went predictably well and then, Finnley found himself choosing to walk home even though one of his classmates had offered him a ride. By that time, the snow had stopped and the sun had warmed everything a little more than it had in the early hours of the morning. Finnley had thought he’d be fine walking home. Maybe, he’d even stop to get another drink. If he wasn’t too tired, he was thinking he might duck into the library and study for a little while before he made his way back to his apartment. 

It was a mere twenty minutes after Finnley’s last class had ended that he found himself once again ducking back into the cafe he’d gone to that morning. He felt guilty spending money on coffee twice in one day but… well, he could save money and not stop tomorrow. Today, he’d indulge himself and with his second coffee of the day, Finnley had moved to walk outside and figure out where he was going from there.

That’s when _it_ happened. 

Someone had been walking down the sidewalk as Finnley had moved out of the cafe. The person had more than enough room to walk around him and Finnley assumed that they would, until he felt a body hitting his shoulder, splashing coffee all down his chest and leaving Finnley dazed.

Why hadn’t the person just walked around him? Finnley turned to look at the man, expecting him to apologize like any normal person would but the man didn’t say anything to him right away. He didn’t apologize or back up from the far too close position they were standing in. Instead, the man’s eyes flickered down to Finnley’s chest, taking in the coffee that had spilled onto his sweater and was now dripping across Finnley’s mildly burnt hands. 

For a moment, they stood still frozen like that and then, the man finally opened his mouth. “You’re not going to apologize?” The man asked, raising a subtle eyebrow in question.

For a second, Finnley couldn’t even comprehend what the man meant. It was ridiculous. Finnley knew he had done nothing wrong. The man had slammed into him, not the other way around and with how much room the man had to go around him, Finnley almost felt like the man had done it on purpose. 

Finnley’s eyes narrowed. He was a polite person. If it had been his fault, he’d have no problem apologizing but it hadn’t been and that fact couldn’t be more clear. “Why should I apologize?” Finnley asked at last. “You slammed into me,” he snapped, finally moving to hold his coffee in his free hand and shake the now cooling and sticky liquid from his other. 

Finnley didn’t even realize the man hadn’t responded until he finally looked up again and found the man simply standing and staring. It was that moment that Finnley realized just how closely they were standing and Finnley didn’t feel any more comfortable with that fact when he saw the look that was in the man’s eyes.

Finnley couldn’t even name what it was that had unnerved him. Maybe, it was the way the man stayed silent. Maybe, it was the dark look in the man’s eyes and the way he simply stared, taking Finnley in and cataloging everything about him. Whatever it was, something about it had sent a chill down Finnley’s spine. 

Suddenly, he didn’t care about the man apologizing. Suddenly, he felt like he should leave and after a second of hesitation, Finally moved to keep walking without another word, his steps moving quick, rushing to get away but trying not to make it seem like he was. His apartment was only a few blocks away. He just had to get home. Besides, Finnley knew he was probably just being paranoid. The man had bumped into him. There were a lot of rude people in the world. This was nothing new or even that concerning but still.

The way the man had stared scared Finnley. He wasn’t one to be scared easily and yet, it scared him. Even with the distance already between them, Finnley felt unnerved. Maybe, he’d known then that something about this situation was horribly wrong. Maybe, he’d known then that the man he’d bumped into would change his life forever. 

Or maybe, he hadn’t known at all and he’d just thought he’d bumped into someone weird. Either way, even if he _had_ suspected something, Finnley certainly didn’t know just how drastically his life was about to change. Instead, he’d simply been intent on getting home but after a moment of thinking about it, Finnley wondered if he should do something else instead.


	2. Installment Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decisions from last round:
> 
> On that note, what should Finnley do? - Go straight home.
> 
> Should Finnley do anything else in the meantime? - Call someone | Make sure he’s not being followed- Tie, both options void.

No, Finnley debated for a second if he should go somewhere else other than home but the best choice he could make was going home, where he knew he’d be safe. Besides, if he went anywhere else, he might have to explain to someone why he wasn’t going home, why he was concerned in the first place but the thought of that sounded so embarrassing. What would he say, that he got freaked out because a stranger looked at him weird? He’d panicked and not wanted to go home because he was scared he’d get followed for no reason other than his own paranoia? 

He’d get laughed at. He knew he would. It was that same thinking that made Finnley decide not to call anyone either. He knew he was being paranoid. He just had to get home and he’d be fine. 

Finnley repeated that same thing to himself as he forced himself not to turn around and look to see if anyone was following him. He was being paranoid. That’s all it was. He just had to get home and then, he could lock his door and stay inside for the rest of the night. He’d watch a movie probably. Maybe, he’d make some tea to calm his nerves. 

The coffee in his hand suddenly seemed like a bad idea. He was already jittering and shaky. Having more caffeine probably wasn’t a great idea but Finnley took a sip anyway, hoping the warmth would calm him down. It didn’t.

Darius hadn’t planned on kidnapping anyone when he drove out to town that day. Truthfully, he’d been intending on purchasing some supplies they needed before the snow closed them in and shut down the roads, which would not be plowed until spring finally came. Kidnapping someone else had been in the back of Darius’ mind, of course. How could it not be, when the first person he’d ever taken had turned out to be such a disastrous disappointment? 

Darius had wanted to try again and hopefully find someone better but he wasn’t planning on rushing into it. He had with the first one, assuming based off looks alone that the one he’d chosen would be an ounce less pathetic than he really turned out to be. The next time Darius took someone, he was planning on taking his time. He was planning on making sure the person he was going to take fit his preferences but…

The snow was already coming in. He wouldn’t be able to leave soon. His window to take someone else was closing, was narrowed down to today really and even though Darius hadn’t intended to take someone, the thought of spending all winter alone with that groveling thing made his stomach turn. He just might get sick enough of him that he’d kill him and be done with it.

It had been exciting for a while, taking anyone at all but now, the excitement had faded. Darius wanted something more. He wanted someone better. Besides, he thought he deserved it. He knew he’d get away with it and if he did want someone, why not just do it? Why restrain himself or hold back, when there was no reason to?

He’d thought this all of course after that brat had refused to apologize to him. Darius knew nothing else about the boy but there was a little bit of fire in his eyes when Darius had stared him down, enough so that Darius found himself excited before he’d really thought it through and decided to do it.

Had he apologized, Darius would have been uninterested and not even thought about it but the boy was feisty and even if he was as small as a twig, maybe Darius needed someone entirely unlike his previous disaster. Blond hair, small, argumentative- he was everything that Ethan was not. 

That was enough for Darius to throw caution to the wind and decide to do it without any further investigation. It was perfect timing. He’d have a new toy for winter and though, that threw a wrench into the matter of their supplies, he could simply starve the less desirable one, if it came to that. 

Darius turned and started to follow after the things hurried, scared steps. If the boy was smart, he’d call someone or at least turn to make sure he wasn’t being followed. He was clearly frightened. It would be the best thing to do but the boy did none of that. He just kept walking and when they finally reached their destination, Darius was thrilled to realize that it appeared the frightened thing had led him right to his home - his home that seemed entirely empty, besides him. 

Truly, it was like Darius was meant to take him.

Finnley locked his door behind him, feeling relieved and stupid the moment he closed it and kicked his shoes off. He knew he was being paranoid and he was thankful now that he’d been so conflicted about calling someone. He’d be so embarrassed if he had called someone and had to explain now that he was home safe and he was fine. 

Finnley wondered exactly what about the man had made him so unnerved though. It wasn’t like him to be so freaked out for no reason but Finnley tried to stop thinking about it. It didn’t matter anymore. He’d never see the man again. Besides, he had work in the morning. Now that he was home, he just wanted to relax.


	3. Installment Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decisions from last round:
> 
> Darius should - Wait for nightfall.
> 
> In the meantime, Darius should - Get some supplies.
> 
> Inside, Finnley should - Make sure his doors and windows are locked. 
> 
> If confronted with something unusual, Finnley should - Investigate.

Darius considered doing it now, throwing all caution to the wind and going after the boy, winging it and assuming he could figure it out as he went but… Darius really did have to get supplies, like he’d come into town to get in the first place. He’d been so rudely interrupted before he’d even managed to finish his business and leaving a recently taken captive alone in a car while Darius went into a store didn’t exactly seem like a feasible option.

Darius was confident in his ability to take the boy and get away with it but he wasn’t stupid and there was no reality in which Darius Wilde was arrested for doing something as stupid as that. There was no reality where he was arrested at all because Darius simply would not allow that to happen but the time between taking his second captive and the time it took to get him to the cabin would be the most dangerous point, something that Darius didn’t take lightly.

He noted where the boy lived and then, he turned and started to walk back the way he’d come, deciding it was better to come back at nightfall anyway. It was easier to take people at night than it was during the day and besides, Darius figured he should get something to tie him up with, when he did finally take him. Darius was pretty sure the only thing he had in his truck was rope and though it looked good on skin, it was less practical to tie it on someone that was resisting than something like zip ties or duck tape was.

As Darius walked, he thought back on the day he’d taken Ethan. He’d been so prepared. It was his first time after all. He hadn’t wanted anything to go wrong, especially with Ethan’s size. He hadn’t wanted to take any chance of Ethan overtaking him and Ethan had given him a run for his money, at first. Ethan struggled in the beginning, something that had made Darius so excited but it only took getting him home and then the matter of a week, in which Darius showed Ethan exactly what life would be like now, for him to break.

By the second week Darius had him, any fight in him was gone and Darius was left with what he had now- a pathetic mess that Darius didn’t imagine he could force to turn on him if he tried and he had tired at first, before he’d given up and simply started to take his anger and disappointment out on him for no reason other than doing so. A week was all it had taken for Ethan’s angry words to die, for him to stop resisting and for him to believe Darius when Darius told him he was never going to get away.

Darius imagined taking this one would be easier, simply because he was smaller but Darius would be pleased if he turned out to be wrong. He needed something exciting, something not as breakable, something that would give him more than Ethan had and hopefully, he wouldn’t make such a massive miscalculation on his second try.

If this one was not what Darius was looking for either, Darius really didn’t know what he’d do. Getting rid of the first two over the winter and starting over in the spring might become his game plan, even though it was less than ideal. More meant more chances of getting caught but if none of them satisfied him, what else was he supposed to do?

Darius pushed any thoughts of that away. He was dwelling on a future that he didn’t even know would happen yet. His first goal was taking him. After that, he’d see what kind of captive he was.

Finnley checked his windows and doors, making sure they were all locked one more time and feeling silly as he did. He’d never been someone that was exceptionally paranoid and it startled him how one man could change that so dramatically but in his own home, Finnley knew that he was safe and with the added reassurance that no one could get in unless he let them in, Finnley relaxed. 

He knew he should try to get some homework done but Finnley was surprisingly drained from the morning and from his brisk walk home. Finnley settled on his couch, pulled out his headphones and curled up to watch something stupid on youtube, something Finnley hadn’t indulged in much as of recently.

He’d been too busy but Finnley let himself ignore the homework he had to do and the knowledge that he should probably get up and do his laundry before work tomorrow. He’d worry about it all later. For now, he thought he deserved some rest. He only managed to stay awake for maybe another hour before he was sinking further into the couch, the two coffees he’d had earlier apparently having no impact on his tired state.

Finnley fell asleep around mid evening, a few hours before dark and when he woke up again, the sun had left the sky and the moon was just starting to rise. Finnley himself was bleary, convinced he’d just heard something that woke him up but not knowing exactly what it was.

Finnley tried to fall back asleep but then, he heard the noise again and this time, he knew what it was. It was someone knocking on his door, firm and insistent. Slowly, Finnley sat up. It was odd, sure. He hadn’t ordered anything. He wasn’t expecting anyone and no one just randomly stopped by his apartment but Finnley got up anyway and made his way towards the door. 

He peered out the peephole and it was only then that the hair on the back of Finnley’s neck stood up. He stared for a few long moments, convinced he was seeing something else but there was no denying it as the knock came again. Someone was at his door and they were blocking the peep hole, so Finnley couldn’t see who it was.

For a second, Finnley had the urge to pretend he wasn’t home. He thought maybe he should ignore it, go to bed and hope whoever it was went away. Maybe, he should call someone, perhaps even the police but Finnley didn’t decide to do any of that. Beyond any reason, any rational thought in his head, Finnley decided to investigate. 

The man from earlier in the day wasn’t even in Finnley’s mind. He hadn’t been followed home and besides, that had been hours ago. What would the man have done, followed him and then left and come back? It didn’t even make sense. 

Finnley just wanted to know who it was and why they were here. He was overreacting. He was paranoid. Maybe, someone had just sent him something and the blackened peep hole had a completely rational explanation that Finnley wasn’t thinking of. Maybe, it had broken, somehow. Besides, what was the worst that could happen?

Finnley opened the door.


	4. Installment Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decisions from last round:
> 
> Darius Should - Push Finnley inside and close the door.
> 
> Inside, Darius should - Toy with him.
> 
> When Darius finally decides to end it, he should - Tie him up but leave him awake.
> 
> Finnley should: Fight back without abandon- bite, kick, scream, exc.

Darius blinked for a brief second, stunned that the boy opened the door so easily. The only thing he’d done is block the peep hole with his finger and knock. If Darius had looked out his door to see nothing, he certainly wouldn’t be jumping to open it. For a moment, Darius wondered if he’d already miscalculated but… stupid didn’t mean easily breakable. Stupid didn’t mean he couldn’t still be defiant and besides, it was a little too late to turn back now.

Darius didn’t have a time limit but if he was going to take someone, he should do it now, in the dark before he was stuck at home for the rest of winter. If he changed his mind and decided to take someone else because this one apparently had no common sense, he’d have to grab someone blindly and that could be an even worse shot in the dark.

This one had at least snapped at him and besides, he was already here. Maybe, the boy being stupid would play in Darius’ favor. It had already really. Darius reached forward in a second, pushing the boy backwards with a hard shove to his shoulder. 

He stumbled instantly, his eyes wide as he tumbled back a few feet and hit the floor. 

Darius wasted no time before he walked inside the boy’s apartment, watching with amusement as the boy scrambled backwards to get away as Darius took a moment to close the door behind him and promptly lock it. 

It was just after Darius did so that the boy finally seemed to find words. He scrambled backwards even more, struggling to pull himself onto his feet and barely managing it as he spoke. “What are you doing here? Did you follow me? You can’t just come into my apartment!” he snapped, sounding bewildered and astonished.

Darius took a moment to look around the boy’s apartment, taking in the simple decor, the video games by the TV, the books on the table which looked as if it had been converted into a makeshift desks. Darius wondered for a moment what he was studying and then, he realized that he didn’t care. 

He wouldn’t be studying it for much longer anyway. Darius looked back to the boy as he finally made it back onto his feet and backed up, putting distance between him and Darius as if it would make any difference. Darius was standing in front of the door. It wasn’t as if he could go anywhere. 

For a second, Darius considered ending it now. It was dark. He should be heading back soon and perhaps, he should just take the boy and have his fun later at home, in a far more secure location but… then, he looked into the boy’s frantic eyes and he knew he had to play with him a little. He just looked so scared and confused. How could Darius pass up this opportunity without toying with him a little? 

_This_ was the exciting part about taking someone. This is the part that had made Darius’ heart beat so fast in his chest. Just remembering that exhilarating feeling, stalking towards Ethan in the alleyway, taking in the sight of his angry, panicked eyes, savoring it before he managed to shove the needle into his skin and then watch as he slowly passed out, sinking down the wall, still struggling to stay awake, to get away as Darius moved forward to take him. 

Even now, with Ethan the way he was, that moment before Darius had taken him was still something he dreamed about. He’d never felt a high like that before in his entire life and this moment right now was the first taste of that feeling that Darius was getting again. How could he cut it short, even if it would be the smart thing to do? 

He couldn’t was the answer. This part was just too exciting. This was the part that made him feel alive again.

“It’s not very smart to go home when you think someone is following you,” Darius murmured casually, taking a few steps forward to pluck a piece of paper off the table and peer down at it. It was notes about something, scattered with small absent doodles. He’d draw a small chicken and a couple little shapes that were probably from a stupid video game that Darius had never heard of. 

Across from him, the boy stammered. “I can give you money,” he spit out finally. “Or whatever you want. I won’t tell anyone if you just take what you want and leave.”

Darius let the paper drop before he turned to look at the boy again, raising a subtle eyebrow. He was bargaining already. Darius had to force down a sigh. That wasn’t very exciting or original at all.

“Who said I want money or your things?” Darius posed finally before he was looking down to the papers again, his eyes actually finding something useful this time. ‘Finnley Devante’ the paper was labeled. 

Now, Darius didn’t particularly care about the boy’s name. He’d call him whatever he wanted or nothing at all but it was useful information to have, so Darius filed that little detail away for later.

When Finnley spoke again, he sounded quieter, more confused and slightly more frightened, “What do you want then? I don’t have anything else.” 

Darius looked up, taking a moment to gaze over Finnley’s appearance. His blond hair was tangled on his head, as if he’d been sleeping before Darius had knocked on his door. “I’ve been a little bored recently,” Darius said, figuring there was no reason not to tell the truth. It didn’t matter what he told Finnley anyway. He was going to take him no matter what and Finnley would never have the chance to tell anyone what he said, so who cared? 

Darius watched Finnley, who’s eyes were darting around the room as if he was looking for something, a weapon probably or anything to protect himself, maybe even a way to escape - something Darius would not let him have. Still, it was interesting. Maybe, Darius would even get a real fight. 

Finnley finally looked up and met his eyes again, taking in a panicked breath. “Okay?” He snapped, his eyes darting around again. After a moment, he seemed to settle on something. 

Darius looked over at what it was with mild interest. 

Finnley’s eyes flickered away instantly, as if he was trying not to draw attention to what he’d found but it was too late. Darius eyed the bat indifferently. It was small and decorative. It looked like a toy but it was metal and Finnley could certainly try to swing it at him, if he really tried. 

Darius looked back to the boy. “So, you’re my new entertainment,” Darius explained simply. 

There was a still moment in which Finnley’s eyes widened and then he sputtered one final time before he was diving for the bat. “You’re crazy,” he snapped, as he grabbed the bat up off the table. He held it tight in his hands, holding it out in front of him like it would keep Darius back. “You’re _crazy_ ,” he said again, his hands trembling slightly. 

Darius stared for a beat, unable to help the slow smile that stretched onto his face. He should put a stop to it. It was a metal bat. The boy could actually manage to hurt him but… where was the fun in that? Where was the struggle and the excitement? 

“What do you think you’re going to do with that?” Darius asked simply.

At that, Finnley stammered, “I’ll hit you with it! I’ll knock you out and I’ll call the police and you’ll go to prison for stalking and breaking and entering and being a massive creep!” 

Darius’ grin stretched even wider. He couldn’t help himself.

“I mean it!” Finnley snapped, upon realizing that Darius wasn’t too disturbed by his threats. “I’ll call the police! They put psychopaths like you in jail!”

Darius took a few steps forward, “You don’t have a phone on you?” He asked, confused as to why he hadn’t at least tried to call the police before this. _That_ Darius would have to put a stop to but it was still curious. Clearly, Finnley understood what was happening here enough to be afraid of him.

At the question, Finnley’s eyes darted across the room and when Darius looked over, he saw a phone resting on the counter, much much closer to Darius than to Finnley. Darius took a couple of steps over and plucked the phone into his hand. When Darius clicked the home button, the background photo was of Finnley and another woman, maybe a girlfriend, maybe a family member- Darius wasn’t sure and he didn’t care. 

Darius dropped the phone to the ground, ignoring the angry shout that came from the boy still cautiously standing across the room. Without any further prompting, Darius dropped his foot down, crushing the phone under his heel and shattering the screen all at once. 

That at last seemed to spur Finnley into action. When Darius looked up, Finnley was heading towards him, looking outraged at what Darius had done to his phone, the phone that was still under his heel, crunching as he pushed it down further. 

“And destruction of property!” Finnnley exclaimed, adding to the imaginary list that Darius would not get charged with. “They’ll make you replace that!” Finnley stopped in his tracks when Darius looked up and met his eyes, suddenly stopping a few feet away with the bat still held tight in his hands, looking torn between coming closer and backing up again.

Darius cocked his head. He wondered if Finnley would actually attack him. He wondered what it would take for Finnley to do so. “You’re not going to call the police.” Darius said simply, “You don’t have a phone anymore.”

Finnley hesitated, his eyes flickering to the doorway that he still could not get to without going by Darius. “I could have another phone,” Finnley said quietly, seeming to realize for perhaps the first time just how bad this situation he was in was. 

Darius raised an eyebrow, “Do you?”

The silence that met Darius’ question was answer enough. Darius let them sit in it for a moment before he took a step towards Finnley, instantly making the boy take a step back. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to come with me, whether you like it or not. The only thing that’s up to you is if you’d like to come without a fight or with one.” 

Instantly, Finnley looked terrified but no closer to putting the bat down and coming with Darius peacefully. Darius liked that. He really really hoped Finnely would give him a fight. 

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Finnley snapped. 

Darius couldn’t help but grin again. He knew he’d picked right. The moment he’d seen Finnley, he’d had a feeling about him. Darius just hoped he wasn’t getting his hopes up to be let down.

Darius finally walked forward.

Finnley swung the bat wildly. He’d never swung a bat at someone before. He’d played tee ball as a kid but truthfully, he’d been horrible at it. He didn’t think he’d ever hit the ball. He’d managed to fall once and bust his face up but that’s the only thing he’d done. He’d certainly never swung a bat at someone’s face, a psychopath who had broken into his house, destroyed his phone and apparently planned on taking him somewhere against his will.

Finnley didn’t know much but he knew that you never let an attacker take you to a second location. If you went to a secondary location, your chances of being found were small. Finnley thought he’d heard that in a comedy routine or something but he was still pretty sure it was true.

Finnley felt the bat hit something solid, cracking in a way that made Finnley flinch before he even realized what he’d hit.

His face. Finnley blinked, realizing he’d hit the man across the face with the bat. For a moment, he felt the inexplicable urge to apologize but that was ridiculous. For all Finnley knew, he was fighting for his life. He wasn’t going to apologize.

The man straightened up after a stunned moment. He spit on the floor and Finnley was pretty sure he saw blood but he didn’t take a moment to look down and make sure. He just tightened his grip on the bat, his blood pounding loud enough in his ears that it was all he could hear. He’d made him bleed. Finnley didn’t think he’d ever made someone bleed before, not on purpose at least. 

The man looked to him, a bruise already forming on his cheek. Where Finnley expected to see anger on the man’s face, all he saw was a wide eyed calm that Finnley couldn’t make sense of. The man looked stunned and he _had_ just been hit with a bat but it was more than that. The man almost looked pleased but before Finnley could really think about what the hell that possibly meant, the man was diving towards him and Finnley, with his exceptionally quick reflexes, managed only to drop the bat as the man grabbed him.

The man’s fingers dug into his arm, hard enough that Finnley was sure he’d have bruises later. Finnley flailed randomly, not even sure what he was doing, only sure that he was trying to get away, apparently none too successfully. 

Finnley kicked out as the man tugged him forward, managing to land a kick between the man’s legs before he even realized that’s what he’d been trying to do in the first place. The man’s hand loosened and then, Finnley was shoving him and sprinting away before he could even watch the man stumble. 

He ran to the door without a second of hesitation. Finnley didn’t know what was going on. He didn’t know why this man followed him home. He didn’t know what he wanted from him. He didn’t know who he thought he was coming into Finnley’s apartment like this but Finnley knew that he was not going along with his sick plans and going whenever this man wanted to take him.

Finnley reached the door, grappling with the handle before he remembered the man had locked it. His hand snapped to the lock but before he could flip it open, Finnley felt his face being slammed into the door, pain blossoming all across it, leaving him stunned.

For a moment, Finnley couldn’t see anything. He couldn’t move. He didn’t know where he was and then, he was being flipped around, shoved against the door, staring blearily as he realized the man was in front of him, touching him, doing something but even with his mind screaming for him to move, to do something to get away but he just couldn’t. His entire body felt numb.

The man shoved him and Finnley fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes, only realizing his hands were tied together now when he tried to catch himself on the ground and only half managed it. Something red splashed across Finnley’s hands.

Blood, he realized after a second. His nose had to be bleeding from the door. Bleeding a lot, apparently. Finnley had never liked blood that much. It always made him feel a little sick and light headed, kind of like he felt now, from the door but-

Finnley felt his head drop into his bloodied hands. That was the last thing he remembered, until his eyes blinked open again, pain blossoming across his face, his side, everywhere. It was dark. Finnley fumbled weakly, realizing his hands were still tied.

He was moving but it took a few long seconds for Finnley to realize why. He was in a car. A truck maybe. He was in the back, sprawled across the seat. Finnley didn’t even remember the man or what happened. His head was pounding and everything still felt so fuzzy but Finnley still knew from the moment he woke up that something was horribly horribly wrong.

Finnley leaned forward as much as he could and threw up onto the floor, groaning softly.

There was the feeling of breaks slamming, someone cursing distantly and before Finnley knew it, the car door next to his head was opening and someone was coming into his sight. A cold winter breeze drifted in, making Finnley shiver slightly and waking him up just a little all at once.

He remembered what had happened suddenly. He remembered the man in front of him. Kidnapped. He’d been kidnapped.


	5. Installment Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decisions from last round:
> 
> Finnley Should - Try to run.
> 
> Run Where - Out the open door, past Darius.

Finnley’s head was pounding. His throat burned with the acid from throwing up and when he forced his eyes open and tried to focus on the world around him, he felt like his head was spinning. He needed to focus. He needed to do something. He’d been kidnapped and that thought was almost as inconceivable as the reality that he needed to escape.

He couldn’t overthink it. He just needed to go and he needed to do it before this man closed the door and locked it again, sealing Finnley inside. The man clearly didn’t think Finnley was awake enough to be any kind of a threat because he hardly looked at Finnley twice. He’d looked him over quickly before he was looking down to where Finnley had gotten sick, cursing as he moved to assumably clean it up. 

Finnley didn’t hesitate. He couldn’t. He jumped up, almost toppling over before he could even make it out the open door. He managed to land on his feet and somehow stay upright even though the whole world felt tilted and he felt so, so lightheaded. Finnley felt the man grab him, saying something but Finnley couldn’t even hear what he was saying. His words made no sense and the only thing he could hear the anger in them. 

Finnley managed to pull himself away and he started running before the man could even speak again. It was dark. The familiar lights of the city were completely gone. Instead, they were somewhere isolated and Finnley found himself running through a field, feeling the knee high grass brush against his legs as he tried to keep moving. 

Finnley reached the woodline, where the field ended and blended into trees. Finnley didn’t even see the trees, until he almost ran face first into one. Finnley caught himself, scraping his hands as he grabbed the tree before he could face plant into it. Finnley pivoted to the side, running in between the trees before almost running right into another. He was just so disoriented. 

He kept running like that, slamming into things, scraping up his shoulders, barely catching the trees with his hands when he realized they were right in front of him a little too late. He was shaking too, he realized after a moment. It had only gotten colder since Finnley had last gone outside and wearing nothing but the thin clothes Finnley had been wearing when he was taken, Finnley found himself shaking all over, the adrenaline just barely keeping him warm enough that he could ignore it for now.

But Finnley was starting to think more clearly. The pain in his head was easing and the cold seemed to wake him up all at once. He’d freeze to death out here, even if he managed to get away from that man, even if he managed to hide out here long enough for him to go away. Finnley had no clue where they were, he had no clue how to get to the closest civilization and he’d freeze to death tonight but going back with that psychopath to go wherever he was planning on taking him was also not an option. It couldn’t be, could it?

Finnley didn’t have much time to keep debating it. He just kept running, trying desperately to stay on his feet, trying not to trip over the ground, trying not to run face first into trees and trying desperately to listen beyond the pounding of the blood in his ears to see if he was being followed. 

Finnley’s head was still spinning, even though it was a little clearer than before. He still had a blinding headache that normally would have made him curl up and hide from the world. His nose was killing him too, he realized now. Maybe, he’d actually broken it. Even now, his lungs were screaming for him to stop and just breath but he couldn’t because he knew that he needed to keep moving. 

Finnley wasn’t even sure how long he kept running but finally, he abruptly came to a stop before he even realized why he’d stopped. Finnley didn’t even feel himself falling. He didn’t even notice he was until he was already on the ground, his hands scraping painfully through the dirt, his face slamming into the cold ground as he fell completely flat without even a chance to catch himself.

Finnley struggled to move there, trying to push himself up on his arms but he just couldn’t. He couldn’t breath. He felt like he was going to throw up again. He was in so much pain. His head hurt so bad and after a moment of laying on the ground, Finnley realized he could hear something too. He could hear footsteps, walking calming and steadily through the woods somewhere yards behind him. 

Finnley pressed his face into the dirt, trying hard to stifle his harsh breathing the best that he could. The man was too close. If he moved, he’d be caught unless he thought he could keep running and Finnley did not think that was a possibility right now. Finnley had asthma as a kid, he realized suddenly. It hadn’t been a problem in years but as he tried to calm his breathing, he wondered if he still had it.

It was a few minutes later that the footsteps seemed to stop. The man stilled somewhere in the woods far enough away from Finnley to feel like he had some shot at getting away with hiding here. Finally, the man spoke into the darkness.

“We’re over twenty miles away from the closest civilization.” He spoke evenly. “It’s only five degrees out. Tonight, it will get below zero. This is a private road. No one else will be driving it. If you’d prefer to hide and freeze to death tonight then that sounds rather boring and irritating to me but I supposed there’s nothing I can do about that, if I can’t find you.” 

Finnley saw a flashlight sweet across the woods, just far enough away that it kept him hidden in the dark. Finnley heard the man take a few more steps forward, the flashlight sweeping across the woods once again, a little closer this time.

If he stayed where he was, he might get caught but he was also just far enough away that there was a chance the man wouldn’t find him at all. Finnley pressed his hand over his mouth, grimacing when he felt the dried blood and pain shoot through his nose. He was trembling slightly and for a moment, Finnley had no clue what to do.


End file.
